title: Catheter-related septic thrombophlebitis of the superior vena cava involving the atrial septum: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intravascular catheters provide necessary vascular access, for intravenous therapy, blood sampling and pressure monitoring. However, their use is often associated with serious local and systemic complications including local site infection, intravascular catheter-related bloodstream infections, septic thrombophlebitis, and endocarditis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a case of a 72 year old postoperative patient presented with persistent fever. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiograms demonstrated a lesion in the superior vena cava, protruding into the right atrium and infiltrating the atrial septum. Candida albicans grew in blood cultures as well as in the subclavian catheter tip culture. Anti-fungal and antithrombotic therapy was initiated. After 2 weeks treatment the lesion was diminished.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography has been proved efficient and cost-effective in guiding therapy in cases of catheter related infections. In the presented case the lesions in vena cava and the involvement of the endocardium were early identified by echocardiography. Moreover, a follow-up echocardiogram confirmed the efficiency of the therapeutic approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Army Veterans Hospital, Athens, Greece. cardiologiki@nimts.gr.
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tzortzis
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Apostolakis
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xenakis
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spiropoulos
authors.forename: Kyriakos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lazaridis